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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSh e"t 1. O. A. KUSTER.

' MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 361,299. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. A. KUSTER. MECHANICAL MUSIUAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 361,299. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

N. PETERS. PholmL'nhogrnpher Wflshillginn. n. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheet sSheet 3. G. A. KUSTER.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 361,299; Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. KUSTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE PIANOPHONE COMPANY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,299, dated April19, 1887.

Application filed May 14, 1886. Serial No. 202,162. (No model.) v

To My whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Kus'rnu, of Brooklyn, county of Kings,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Mechanical Musical Iu-.

struments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has relation to that class of mechanical devices employedfor striking the keys of an ordinary piano or organ or other keyedinstrument, and for operating the pedals or other accessories of theinstrument through the medium of air-currents which are governed orregulated in their flow by a perforated strip of paper or analogousmaterial.

The objects of my invention are to simplify and improve the constructionand arrangement of the parts comprising the pneumatic action and partsconnected therewith, so as to insure the requisite duration, rapidity,and intensity of the stroke or touch, to perfectly regulate the tone orpitch, to make the im proved device readily adjustable in connectionwith any ordinary piano or other such instrument, and to so constructthe whole that it will be compact and durable in all its parts, certainand efficient in its various operations, and not liable to get out oforder.

To accomplish this my improvements involve certain new and usefulpeculiarities of construction, relative arrangements or combinations ofparts and principles of operation, all of which will be herein firstfully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a vertical section and partial elevation of a device constructedand arranged for operation in accordance with my invention, the samebeing shown as applied in position to operate upon the keys and pedalsof an ordinary piano. Fig. 2 is a front elevation and partial sectionalview, showing the pumps, reservoir, bellows, pneumatic action, andvalves, omitting parts above. Fig. 3 is a top or plan View showing thetracker and means for operating the rollers, the top of the machinebeing removed.

In all these figures like letters of reference,

wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts.

A A are two bellows, which are moved by the feet of the operator, andcalled pumps. They serve to exhaust air from other parts of the machine,and are each supplied with a pedal, as B, hinged, as at a.

The pedals are connected with the pumps by arms, as b, from which theymay be detached at any time, and, being detached, the pedals may bepushed into the casing of the machine at the bottom, where they areentirely out of the way. Each of the pumps A is kept normally closed bya suitable spring, as at c, the movements of the pedals serving toovercome the force of the springs c and to open the pumps, by which airis exhausted in a manner well understood.

Above the pumps are three reservoirs, O, C, and O", in the form ofbellows, and from these the air is exhausted by the pumps, whichcommunicate with a chamber, (1, extending below O and over 0 and O asplainly shown, suitable valves being provided, as indicated.

Above the reservoirs are three valves, e e" c", each held seated by alight spring, the valves 0 and 0* covering ports which communicate withreservoirs O and O'"', and the valve 6* covering aport whichcommunicates with reservoir 0 (through the bottom) and also with thepneumatic actions.

D, D", and D are the pneumaties, socalled, beingin the form of bellowsand serving to open valves 6 e" 6 when by exhaustion of air therefromeither or all or any two of the pneumatics are sufficiently closed. Thevalves 6' a e are located in a chamber marked E; and as said valves areraised from off their seats they permit exhaustion of air from chamber Ein quantity and rapidity according to which of the valves are opened,thus determining the degree of the stroke or touch which is to becommunicated to the keys of the piano, the reservoirs, with which theports under the valves communicate, being of varying sizes orcapacities.

From chamber E on each side trunks or branches, as E, extend up to thechamber within which the actions 13 F are located. These actions are innumber one for each key of the musical instrument to be played upon,

move the hammers, as G G, through suitableconnections. The hammers G arearranged so as to strike the white and black keys in their proper order,and areheld out of contact with the keys bylight springs, as at g, theforce of which is to be overcome.

H represents one of the white keys and I one of the black keys of anypiano.

K is the tracker, which is perforated according to the number of notesand expressions, and from eachlnote perforation a small tube leads toand communicates with its corresponding action, F.

L is the-perforated paper moved over the tracker. Vhen any perforationin the paper uncovers an opening in the tracker, air is allowed to enterthe action under the influence of the pumps, opening the valve, whichpermits the air to be drawn from the corresponding bellows connectedwith the striker, and thus to strike the required. key.

At h h h are tubes which correspond in numher with the pneumatics. Byopening one of these air is admitted to the corresponding action, R,which opens the valve therein and permits the air to be exhausted fromthe corresponding pneumatic, D, D or D under the influence ot' thepumps, which are kept constantly moving. Thusthe stroke is under controlof the operator, and may be regulated at pleasure. The regulation isaccomplished by suitably perforating the paper. Tubes 2' 2' permit theflow of air to actions S, similar to R, and these (when the tubes areopen) permit air to be exhausted from bellows, as M, also calledpneumatics, which, when closed press down the pedals, as N, of theinstrument, and thus serve to regulate the tone.

The machine is mounted upon casters, and is made adjustable thereon, sothat it may be brought to any required height to correspond with anyinstrument.

0 is a caster mounted in a crossp'iece, O, of the machine, and O" is athreaded rod accessible from the interior and connecting with thecaster. By turning the rod 0 the machine may be raised or lowered, asrequired.

I? is the crank by which the perforated paper is moved over the tracker.This stands in place of any device for moving the paper, the same beingconnected with the rollers Q Q in any suitable manner.

The machine may be inclosed, and any arrangeinentof shelves for music,&c., provided.

The improved device thus constructed and arranged is simple andeffective in operation, and well calculated to answer the purposes orobjects of the invention, as previously stated.

Having now fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an instrument of the character herein set forth, the combination,with the pumps, of the foot-pedals hinged at their outer ends,made

detachable from the pumps and arranged to,

slide within the casing, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. In an instrument of the character herein set forth, the threereservoirs of graded ca pacity, the same being combined with the pumpsand the pneumatics which operate the valves upon the reservoirs,substantially as shown and described.

3. In an instrument of the character herein set forth, the pumps, thereservoirs, pneumatics for operating the valves leading to thereservoirs, the pneumatic actions, the pneumatics connected with thekey-hammers, the bellows serving to operate the pedal-strikers and thetubes leading to said bellows, and the traveling perforated paper,combined and arranged substantially as shown aud described.

4. The combination of the pumps, the reservoirs,the pneumatics foroperating the valves leading to the reservoirs, the pneumatic actionsgoverned by the traveling perforated paper, the pneumatics connectedwith the hammers, and the hammers, all constructed and arranged foroperation, substantially as shown and described.

5. The herein-described mechanical musical instrument, having the pumps,the sliding detachable foot-pedals for operating the same, the threereservoirs, the pneumatics for operating the valves upon the reservoirs,the pneumatic actions for operating the strikers, the travelingperforated paper governing theflow of air, and the key and pedalstrikers, the said parts being combined and arranged within a casingmounted upon adjustable casters, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. KUSTER.

lVit-n esses:

J OI'IN BUOKLER, Wonrrr Osooon.

